Previous Article | Next Article ![]()
J. Virol., Mar 1995, 1612-1620, Vol 69, No. 3
CH Herrmann and AP Rice
Efficient replication of human immunodeficiency virus types 1 and 2 (HIV-1
and HIV-2) requires the virus transactivator proteins known as Tat. In
order to understand the molecular mechanisms involved in Tat
transactivation, it is essential to identify the cellular target(s) of the
Tat activation domain. Using an in vitro kinase assay, we previously
identified a cellular protein kinase activity, Tat- associated kinase
(TAK), that specifically binds to the activation domains of Tat proteins.
Here it is demonstrated that TAK fulfills the genetic criteria established
for a Tat cofactor. TAK binds in vitro to the activation domains of the Tat
proteins of HIV-1 and HIV-2 and the distantly related lentivirus equine
infectious anemia virus but not to mutant Tat proteins that contain
nonfunctional activation domains. In addition, it is shown that TAK is
sensitive to dichloro-1-beta-D- ribofuranosylbenzimidazole, a nucleoside
analog that inhibits a limited number of kinases and is known to inhibit
Tat transactivation in vivo and in vitro. We have further identified an in
vitro substrate of TAK, the carboxyl-terminal domain of the large subunit
of RNA polymerase II. Phosphorylation of the carboxyl-terminal domain has
been proposed to trigger the transition from initiation to active
elongation and also to influence later stages during elongation. Taken
together, these results imply that TAK is a very promising candidate for a
cellular factor that mediates Tat transactivation.
Copyright © 1995, American Society for Microbiology
Lentivirus Tat proteins specifically associate with a cellular protein kinase, TAK, that hyperphosphorylates the carboxyl-terminal domain of the large subunit of RNA polymerase II: candidate for a Tat cofactor
Division of Molecular Virology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030-3498.
This article has been cited by other articles:
| J. Bacteriol. | Mol. Cell. Biol. | Microbiol. Mol. Biol. Rev. |
|---|
| Clin. Vaccine Immunol. | ALL ASM JOURNALS |
|---|